The Chronicles of Dragon Collection (Series 1 Omnibus, Books 1-10) by Craig Halloran Page B

dragon arm and Fang had issues, and I’ll talk about that later.
    I kept the pressure up, my lungs burning, sweat dripping from my hair into my face as I watched all the remaining orcs try to scramble away from my wrath. Like most people, they were hard headed until faced with the possibility of an inevitable death. Then and only then they became reasonable.
    The orcs cried out. Bleeding from wounds, some ran; others began to grovel and pray. I ignored them. They could live … for now. Though I was certain it was a mistake. I fought for my breath and thirsted.
    “Thanks for the help, Fang,” I said to my sword. I swear it could hear me.
    Fang responded with the hyper-low hum of a tuning fork. That was the magic within. Ancient. Mysterious and wonderful.
    I ran my battle-numbed fingers over the two dragon faces on the brass-fit pommel, their gemstone eyes red and green. I took a deep breath and slipped it back into the scabbard that hung at my side.
    I looked back at the orcs, their expressions defeated yet evil. I could have told them, “Let the dragons alone or I’ll be back,” but what good would that do? Now it was time to depart and find Brenwar. I felt good as I dashed into the woods and disappeared into the night. One more dragon in the land saved from the clutches of evil, and sometimes from the clutches of the self-proclaimed good as well.
    You see, dragons are hard to find, but not so hard to catch. They, like most people, like shiny things: gems, pearls, gold, diamonds, silver, and did I mention gold? Dragons love gold as much as I hate orcs. If you can find them and leave a pile of gold near their nests, caves, nooks, or holes, chances are, like a trout and a silvery lure, they'll try to snatch it. Drop a net over them, and they’re yours, but beware. With claws as sharp as swords, teeth as cutting as knives, and breath as dangerous as anything you ever saw, they aren’t so easy to take alive. That evergreen dragon was a little one, but there are others twenty times her size.
    My good deed was done, and I turned to walk away.
    Clatch-Zip!
    Something exploded in my leg.
    “Argh!”
    Fool! I stumbled to the ground. My chest and stomach were burning like fire. It felt like my entire core was being torn apart as I rose to my feet and ran. I looked down to see a crossbow bolt sticking through my thigh. It hurt. It was a good shot. I dashed into the woods, one foot stumbling past the other, branches slapping my face. Orcs! That’s the problem with leaving them alive: if you do, they don’t usually stop until you're dead.

 
    CHAPTER 2
     
     
    Another bolt whizzed past my head. I half crawled, half limped, and somehow dove behind the cover of a red oak tree.
    Thunk! Thunk!
    I made it!
    “Drat!” I said, reaching down and yanking the bolt from the back of my leg. “Stupid orcs! How’d they catch up on me so fast?”
    I stood up, groaning, my back against the tree, one bolt sailing past, followed by another. I listened. It sounded like there were only two of them, but there might have been three rustling in the bushes and half grunting, half whispering their plans to one another. It seemed they had me right where they wanted me: trapped, with nowhere to run, not that I could. Well, certainly I could outsmart a few orcs.
    Whop!
    Bam!
    Boom!
    I stiffened. What was that? What was that, indeed. The sounds of battle didn’t come from me but from beyond the tree. I stood with Fang in my grip and peeked around the bend in the tree.
    “Come out from behind there, Nath Dragon!”
    I let out a sigh. It was Brenwar, standing tall, for a dwarf at least, three orcs crumpled at his feet.
    “Hah!” I said, limping forward, using Fang as a crutch. “It’s about time you showed up, Brenwar!”
    He eyed me, and I knew what was next: a lecture. Brenwar liked to lecture me on the things I did wrong, but this time it would be different. This time he was wrong and I was right.
    Brenwar hefted his war axe over the plate