Dragon Unleashed (Book 1 of the Dragon Mage Saga)

Continuing On

Darla was shaken awake.

            Her eyes flew open, settling onto her faded gray mat and the dirt floor. Where was she? Darla turned over to face a young girl-Wren, Darla remembered. Except Wren wasn’t Wren-or at least, not the human Wren Darla met last night.

            This girl was a few inches taller with a long, taut slender build, muscles rippling down her sides. Her dark eyes were sharp and narrow, and ivory whiskers curled out of her defined cheeks. A small snout jutted out of her slender face. Out of her silken black tendrils were two soft red triangular ears, each outlined with a smear of salt white fur which appeared to be as soft as downy fluff and a thick, velvety tail plumed out behind her like a feather. Darla blinked in surprise, taking in the unique sight before her.

            “Sorry, we always shift in the morning,” Wren sighed, stretching out her hind legs. “I recommend you guys don’t, though. We kind of sort of really hate dragons.”

            Darla stretched out as well. She was certainly cramped. “Hey, where is everybody?”

            She looked around at the empty cots scattered about for Hugo, Cecily, Charles, or Ruby, but they were all gone. Did they abandon her with this strange fox girl?

            “Alfred took them to the shack to get some breakfast. The boy-the prince, I think-said he’d bring you something. You looked sleepy, so we decided not to wake you,” Wren replied breezily. “You snore by the way. Loudly. It’s kind of obnoxious.”

            Darla fought back a laugh. “Ruby said the same thing.”

            “So,” Wren said, plopping down on the ground next to Darla. Her tail swished excitedly. “Tell me all the dirty secrets about you and Charles. And don’t give me any crap-kitsunes have superhuman emotion detectors. I know there’s something between you two.”

            Darla blushed, staring at her chipped toenails. “There’s nothing, really. He’s just a friend. I’ve only known him for little over a week.”

            “And what about that Hugo boy?” Wren chuckled, her ears standing up alert on the top of her head. “Do I sense a steamy love triangle?”

            At this, Darla couldn’t help but to howl with laughter. “Me and Hugo? You’ve got to be kidding me. He hates me-and he has a valid reason.”

            Wren nodded intelligently. “Of course, I forgot. His mother was the Prophet’s Eye, right? She was wiped out by the devils.”

            “Wait, so you know who I am?” Darla exclaimed. She was completely shocked. Weren’t the other monsters completely isolated from all the drama going on with the dragons?

            Wren nodded slowly. “You’re the Dragon Mage, the Almighty One, the one with all the fancy titles and the big fancy powers. You’re all everyone ever talks about here.”