The Seventh Magic (Book 3) by Brian Rathbone

lightning that never stopped. The darkness had come for them. He hoped Valterius and Gerhonda would bring back Sinjin, Kendra, and the others. They were far better suited to lead. What did he know about battle?
    "If they're right, we can fall back to the keystone caverns," Brother Vaughn said as he approached. Durin continued helping Mikala and Arakhan saddle Grekka and Atherian. "Do you think we can get everyone out of here in time?"
    "No," Durin said. "Pray I'm wrong."
    Brother Vaughn did just that.
    "I need to know what the situation is up there," Durin continued, leading in spite of himself. "Mount up."
    Brother Vaughn looked up in surprise.
    "Mount up," Durin said again. "And bring your herald globe."
    Tapping his pocket, Brother Vaughn accepted Arakhan's hand, and the powerful man practically pulled him into the saddle. With straps barely secured, Atherian leaped into the air, Grekka right behind. There was no time to waste, and the dragons also knew it. The stubborn beasts sometimes appeared to communicate quite well. It was a puzzle that had kept Durin up more than a few nights. If he lived through this, the memories of their flight would also haunt his dreams. The approaching armies no longer made any attempt at surprise, spreading across the land, making them more difficult to attack from the air. It was among the few advantages they had. Given enough time, the keystone caverns might provide even greater advantage. Based on the numbers pouring from ships and marring the landscape, they would need all they could get.
    Giants waited in the valley, howling in rage on seeing the dragons. Durin hadn't expected to engage the enemy directly at all, let alone so soon. He'd gone from the normalcy of his daily business to a life-or-death battle in far too short a time. Reconciling what he saw proved difficult. Boulders--each one the size of a house--hurled at them hardly looked real. A rain of arrows pushed them higher, and a boulder slammed into the cliff face. Rock fragments pelted them, sparks thick in the air.
    Atherian flew to the other side of the valley, giving Grekka room to maneuver. Both dragons used every trick to gain speed, racing up and down valley walls, elusive and unpredictable while at the same time gaining momentum. The sheer face loomed ahead far too soon, and it didn't feel like they were moving fast enough to gain the peaks. Massive stones whizzed past far too close to hitting their marks. Every evasive action slowed them, and the high valley remained out of reach. At the top of their arc, the dragons folded their wings and dropped. A barrage of stones hit the spot where they had been a moment before, showering them in fragments.
    Frustrated by so many missed attacks, the giant rose to its full height. The massive beast effectively blocked the valley floor. Speed was not on the giant's side, and he moved too soon, giving the dragons time to avoid him by racing up opposite valley walls. One more turn and they would have the speed they so desperately needed. The giant, quicker than he'd made himself appear, waited for them when they turned.
    The sudden appearance of other dragonriders distracted the mighty giant. Spears and rocks hurled from adragonback caused the monster to swat and duck away. The Drakon had disobeyed his orders and likely saved his life. This time they approached the cliff wall with more speed. Hurtling skyward, Durin couldn't help but cry out. Only Brother Vaughn's screams beside him made him feel any better.
    They cleared the peaks and swiftly descended upon the thermals. The valley nestled among the peaks appeared in far better order than when Durin had seen it last. Crystals knocked askew during the breaking of the keystones stood almost straight, and all the debris had been cleared from the entranceways, leaving them as they must have been so long ago.
    "What in the world happened here?" Brother Vaughn asked.
    Durin shrugged.

Chapter 7
    If others define your self-worth, they'll