Dragon Unleashed (Book 1 of the Dragon Mage Saga)

Darla in Serendipity

Soft, gentle winds caressed Darla’s cheek as she continued to walk through the winding forest. The sky was darkening ever so slightly. Night would fall upon the hikers soon, and it was best to move fast.

            “How much longer until we reach Brywood Peak?” Cecily mumbled, wiping the sweat pooling from her brow. “If we keep walking any longer, I think I might faint.”

            Hugo sighed, looking over intently a sketch he drew of the incense map. “Well, ever since the will o’ the wisp got us off the trail, we’re sort of, kind of, well, completely and utterly lost. If my sense of direction is right, we might be headed in the direction of the Peak…or to someplace else.”

            Ruby rolled her eyes angrily. “We’re lost, Hugo. Forget about your pride and just admit it. We’re stranded in the middle of the Seraphine Mountains miles and miles away from any civilization.”

            Charles scowled at his twin sister. “Don’t be so negative, Ruby. We’ll find a way to get to where we need to be. And c’mon, there’s no other monsters in sight. Let’s fly!”

            Darla’s eyes widened hopefully. “Could we?”

            They hadn’t been flying because it was unwise for a dragon to be seen on unmarked territory, especially that belonging to monsters who weren’t particularly fond of dragons. Especially as they were nearing the Pegasi’s turf…dragons and Pegasi never got along very well in the past.

            Hugo cracked a slight smile, which illuminated his tanned, chiseled face. “Fine, but if we get caught we’ll just blame Charles.”

            Charles smiled. “I’m fine with that.”

            Darla didn’t wait for anyone to start. She had been waiting for this moment for quite some time. Inside of her, the magic roared like a caged beast. It was ready to prowl. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt the electricity pulsing through her veins, erupting in fiery chaos throughout her body. She screamed and leaped into the air, feeling the transformation occur-her nails gave way to sharp black claws, her skin withered into shining golden scales, and her button nose jutted out into a whiskered snout. She watched as everything became so much clearer. She could see far into the distance, into the beautiful mountains…

            She noticed something billowing into the air in the distance-a gray ribbon of smoke. Smoke that must be coming from something!

            “I see smoke!” Darla yelled to her friends, who were hovering midair next to her. “It doesn’t seem too far.”

            “Let’s go!” Cecily proclaimed, racing forward like a rocket. A mischievous twinkle glistened in her deep black eyes, her amethyst purple scales sparkling like glass.

            All her friends made the most beautiful dragons. There were Charles and Ruby, with their sleek silver scales and piercing green eyes, precisely the color of jade. Hugo was strong and commanding, the largest dragon of them all, with deep blue scales and fiery red eyes just like his father. Cecily was the tiniest, but also the most slender and the quickest. Her endless energy reminded Darla of a hummingbird.